Chinese Idioms — 成语
A chengyu is a four-character idiom quoted whole, and almost every one is a story compressed into four syllables. 51 of them here, each with its pinyin, its literal reading, what a speaker actually means by it, the classical source it comes from and what every character contributes. Free, no sign-up.
Find an idiom
All 51 idioms
In learning order: the famous ones with everyday characters first, then the ones from history and strategy, then the sharper and rarer ones. Tap any idiom for its full entry.
Nothing here matches that. Try the translator or the Chinese dictionary.
Three difficulty bands
The band reflects how common the idiom is and how hard its characters are — not how complicated the story is. Every story on this site is worth reading at any level.
Want to practise instead of read? The Chengyu Story Puzzle rebuilds each idiom from scrambled tiles and shows the story on a solve, and the Chengyu Quiz tests meanings against the clock.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chengyu?
A chengyu (成语) is a set Chinese idiom, almost always exactly four characters long. It is not a phrase you assemble — it is quoted whole, and most of them are the compressed form of a story from a classical text. That is why the literal reading rarely tells you the meaning: 守株待兔 literally says "guard the stump, wait for the rabbit", and means trusting to luck instead of working.
How many chengyu do I need to know?
Far fewer than the tens of thousands that exist. The 51 on this site are the ones an educated speaker will use in conversation and that turn up in exams and newspapers. Learning the Beginner band first is the highest-return order, because those are the ones that get quoted.
Why does every idiom here come with a story?
Because that is how they are remembered. An idiom you can only translate is a vocabulary item; an idiom you can picture — a farmer waiting by a tree stump, a man cutting his foot to fit a shoe — stays with you. Every idiom on this site has an origin story and a named classical source, and one that has no story is not listed here.
Are the character meanings the same as in the dictionary?
Yes, literally — each character's meaning on an idiom page is read at request time from the same dictionary that powers the translators, so there is no second copy to disagree with. The reading shown is the one the character has inside that idiom, which is not always its everyday one.
Is this free?
Yes. All 51 idiom pages are free, with no account, no sign-up and no download. The site is supported by ads.
Where the entries come from
The stories and sources are written for this site. The meaning of each individual character is read from the same dictionary that powers the translators — there is no second copy, so an idiom page and a translation can never disagree. An idiom is only listed here if it comes with a real origin story.